G&L Tribute SB2

this is a brand new bass made in indonesia. from all g& dealers that i have spoken with these are considered to be of higher quality than the korean models. it has a basswood body with a burgundy finish, rosewood neck. fullerton made split coil at the neck and single coil at the bridge. it has a jazz type neck and kind of jazz-p body. a massive, wonderful bridge.
pickups are passive, no tone control,two volume controls.
G&L heavy gig bag included...this is a great gig bag, by the way! i'm giving this a 10 rating because, although it is a very basic guitar, the features it has are outstanding in their quality.

it took me some time to learn this bass. it is different in its set up than all my other basses.
you have to learn to get your tone by dialing in the pickups...not rocket science, but spending some time with this bass will definately help your sound. the pickups are very powerful..much more than a fender and my JB2. i found that by carefully listening and adjusting the pickup depth i was able to achieve a much cleaner, punchier sound than when it came to me. i have also discovered that it is better to leave yourself some headroom on the amp and use your volume controls to get your sound. i start by turning the split coil to the desired volume and then adjust the single coil as needed. using the split coil as a reference point seems to help me. i play mostly through an AMPEG BR100 ROCKET whenever i can. what a great sounding amp! set the pre amp at midnite, turn up the bass and low mid up to taste, i also use the ultra low setting..and you are ready to get some great sound. this rig also works great with the TRIBUTE JB2 as i have written in an earlier review. this bass is extremely quiet for not having humbuckers are actives. fullerton make great pickups.

this bass was beautiful right out of the box. the neck is perfect and the intonation is right on.
it really is a nice machine. i don't know how G&L can put out such quality, compared to many other more popular brands, for the price.
i did , as i said before, adjusted the pickups, mostly down, and achieved an even better sound than when it arrived. it is very easy to do...just a phillips head and a little listening.

this is a very solid, well made machine. i use it for most of my gigs..unless i want to use my SARATOGA with actives. i trust this bass. as much as i really love my TRIBUTE JB2, i got the SB2 because i was so amazed at the quality of the JB2, i think i like the SB2 a little more.
it is a little heavier and puts out a little more solid note.

no issues.

i am a veteran player, 35 years or so of gigs. i have a lot of nice stuff. the G&L TRIBUTE SB2 is a very cool machine. it is my favorite bass right now. i play alot of blues and alot of roots and americana and this bass does the job. i mostly finger pick and on occasion use a pick.
i'm not a slapper and thumper so i can't really comment on that aspect of this bass. i think it is a great guitar. i have been around long enough and have had enough guitars to know what i like. i don't really care where it is made as long as it sounds and plays great. the best guitarist i personally know plays SQUIRE TELEs out all the time. if they sound good and play well, why not. do not let made somewhere other than the usa deter you. most of my favorite guitars and basses were made somewhere else. you absolutely cannot beat the value of this instrument.. i don't know how they do it for the price.

Korean-made GL Tribute SB-2 bass. US-made MDF pickups, split neck pickup, single coil bridge pickup. Two volume, no tone knobs. Bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fretboard. Precision-style body.

Not sure what kind of wood the body is made out of, but it's pretty light and not the best. I've had to use super glue to keep the strap buttons to keep from pulling out, and also replaced the screw on the rear horn of the pick guard (near the output jack) with a larger screw because the old one kept pulling out if the cable got bumped.

My only complaints about the features are the cheap body wood and lack of a tone knob. I added a 3-way pick-up selector switch and converted one of the volume knobs to a tone knob.

FYI, the bridges on these are US-made also, and they're one of the best bridge designs out there. I'd put one on all my basses if I could get my hands on enough of them. The saddles aren't as good as the US-made versions, but you can get replacement saddles from G&L for about $20.

US-made MDF pickups sound great. About 95% of the time, I use the neck pickup only. Very loud and punchy. Volume is about the same as the active pickups on my US-made G&L L2000. Neck pickup is like a hot P-bass pickup - lots of mids, pretty good lows, not a lot of "snap." Bridge pickup is pretty thin by itself, but with both pickups on, you can get a pretty snappy tone if you want. Since I added a 3-way switch and a tone control, I can get a lot more sounds out of it than stock, all for about $4 at Radio Shack.

Action was nice and low, accurately intonated. Neck is super smooth and comfortable, but a little narrow for my taste (I prefer the width of a real P-bass, this one feels more like a Jazz). I really didn't have to make any adjustments to get this to play comfortably. Stays in tune well, too.

Finish was good, no noticeable flaws.

Like I mentioned before, the body wood is a little weak to hold some of the screws, but super glue and larger screws took care of that. I haven't had any problems since that little fix.

I bought this bass to be my main bass for practice (usually 2 days/week), but I play either my US G&L L2000 or my Fender Jazz (with a P-bass neck, of course) live. I have gigged with it before, but I usually just take it as my back-up. The frets are starting to show a bit of wear, and will most likely need to be leveled soon. But that's to be expected with all the hours on it (and why I'm using it for practice).

Never had to use the customer support.

I've been playing for about 12 years, and I bought this to practice with and not put undue wear on my nicer basses. I have another G&L bass and a G&L guitar (both US-made), so I expected these to be somewhat good quality (at least as good as a MIM Fender). But after playing it for 2 years, I'd definitely say I'm glad I bought this instead of a MIM Fender. Much better value for the money. The pickups and bridge are the best features, but the neck was also really comfortable from the first time I picked it up. I'm sad that they're not making them anymore, and I might pick another one up just to have another one as a back-up. A few simple little mods has made this good player a great player.

Well sorry to say they discontinued making the SB2in the Tribute line but still made USA.
What a great p bass.MFD pickups kick butt.
Easy for smaller hands 1 5/8 nut width.
Sunburst, rosewood board,2 volume pots.
Not alot of features but still give it a 10.

This bass has great punch,tone...

Flawless-I did some adjustments to my liking.

Better than most US guitars.

Excellant guy in charge of the Tribute line is also VP of company.I was floored by Dave M.and his hands on devotion to customer satifaction.Go here for all the talk. http://www.glguitars.com/frameset.htm

Consider yourself lucky if you got one!
I play guitar and bass 33 years.
I was mainly a US Fender guy untill I bought a Tribute.I now own 5.
I can't say enough about my L2000/active,S500 and Legacy.
NO looking Back!!!

I recieved a passive Korean made SB-2 for Christmas. It is totally awesome, and it looks beautiful.Mine has the premium amber finish on swamp ash, and a white pearloid pickguard. It has two volume knobs, one for the p-bass pu and another one for the j-bass pu.Both of them made in the US. Although it doesn't have a tone knob, there is still plenty of it. It also came with a kickin' gig bag. I was also surprised, and quite pleased, to see that it had been inspected in Fullerton.

The tone is really nice, and the p/j combination has a thumpy sound with the smooth sound of a jazz bass.The combo makes the bass really loud too! The SB-2 seems like a very versatile bass. Unlike other "cheaper models"(Squire) this Tribute sound really nice.

From the moment I plugged it into my amp, I knew that I wouldn't adjust anything. The action is low, and the neck is fast. The amber finish on swamp ash is absolutely gorgeous, and is highlighted by a white pearloid pickguard. Compared to many MIM Fenders, this bass kicks major butt.

This bass is rock solid. I have never seen a tighter neck joint. The finish is super thick, and has a nice luster. The only problem the I see is the necks finish; it is satin, and seems to attract dirt at an alarming rate. But, the tuners and bridge make up for it. They are totally solid, and the bridge looks way awesome.

The SB-2 came with a 2 year warranty. I just had to send in a card with all of the guitar info (serial #, model # etc).I haven't needed the customer support yet, and hopefully won't.

This bass is totally awesome. I own two other basses, an 88 Squire Bullet bass, and another 88 Fender American made Bullet. Although they both have a vintage sound, my SB-2 has a better sound. This bass is very versatile, and has a big bang for the buck. The neck is fast, the body is beautiful, and the sound is awesome. If I had a limited budget, and wanted the most for my dollar, this bass would definitely be it!

2003 passive 4 string Tribute SB-2 Plus (Plus is only a difference in finish), made in Korea(w/usa electronics), tone knob and volume control, 3 tone sunburst finish over basswood, tortoise pick guard, chrome hardware, p bass pickup, j bass pickup in the bridge position, maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard, dot markers,and a gig bag.

i believe the P bass Pickup is supposed to be a humbucker but i couldn't tell ya for sure.

it's got a decent sound to it, and it's pretty versitile, i play in a ska and a rock band and it does both well enough. it seems like it's suited best for a punk type setting though somewhere u can use a pick. it has a pretty stable sound not really bounce so if ur picking fast or hard on the strings its got a well contained sound if that makes ne sense. I used to play an old P-Bass and it was awesome but it's low end was just kinda floppy but it had great mids. this bass has decent low end, not floppy, and good mids too. by no means is this bass as good as my old P but it's half the price heh.

the tone knob all the way in one direction makes it really bassy...compared to the other way. it's not a really bassy bass, it's punchy, u can get deep notes if u do it right but it's suited for mids more than anything.

the tone knob all the way in the other direction gives u a range that sounds almost like a regular guitar, i suppose it has it's uses. but anything in between the 2 extremes u really can't notice a difference.

the action was really low when i got it, really nice for most frets but i had some nasty buzz at the lower frets so i had to adjust the truss rod. the pickups have adjustable poles which is pretty neat, i haven't really played w/ that yet, the standard setup is decent enough. Except the strings, god damn they suck. the bass was immaculate though, very pretty, well... till i took off the pickguard. they didn't completely finish staining the sunburst underneath the pickguard. also, the volume pot crapped the bed maybe 2 weeks after i bought it and i don't use it much, so now the volume is just always stuck on max, could be worse i guess.

this is gonna be my backup bass. the volume pot really bugs me, just a bad sign of american workmanship. the tuners are really stable though, and the bridge is HUGE i was gonna replace it with a badd ass bridge but once i really looked at it, it's just as good if not better.

but like i said i'm gonna get an ernie ball musicman and use this as my backup bass, it's probably pretty reliable but it's not exactly the bass i thought it was.

i've been playing for 4 years now. i've played a mexi jazz bass, an ibanez EDA, a gibson EBO, and a 79' Fender P Bass, this bass is possibly the worst one i've played lol. but it has it's strong points. it's easier to play than the eda, it's got better tone than the EBO, it's got a steadier sound than the p bass, and well...it's not worse than the jazz bass, but it's not better...it's prettier i guess heh.

if it were stolen or lost i'd get an Ernie Ball musicman, u can't beat active electronics.

when i was out looking for a bass i had about a week b4 a show, so i didn't have much time to look around or any time for mods. it had a better neck pocket than all the mexi fenders i saw, it was cheaper than an ernie ball S.U.B. in general it was the best that i was willing to buy. it was a midrange bass that would get me through. it's not a bad beginners bass, it's not a bad novice's bass, not saying i'm great but i feel limited by the sounds i get outta it.

Ditto 2 previous reviews.Well said.
G&L Tribute SB-2
New Import version with very good quality control. Sunburst with split p and bridge jazz,passive,1 volume pot per pickup,no tone pot.Basswood body,rock maple neck.Comes with the same USA pickups as the real deal.The computer revolution is here to stay,cnc quality is better than man any day.The neck joint is the tightest ever seen.Saddle lock bridge and tuners are superb-nothing to replace here,in fact may be the best ever seen.

Best of all it was $299 from MF with a killer bag / same as the prs bag.BY FAR THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK EVER!!!!!!!!!

The tone is powerfull-the pickups kick butt, extreamly strong pickups on the trebly side but I adjust at eq.Great funk/slap,rock and jazz sounds.

Sold my Carvin and probably will sell my Fender jazz deluxe with active electronics.The SB-2 is stronger/louder than the active fender! weird..Fullerton pups are the strongest ever made! passive

Solid

The best I've ever come across.

You will be hearing alot about this new line from G&L- Leo is smiling now!!!! I bought a Tribute Legacy and was so impressed I got the SB-2.
Rated:10
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2003 passive 4 string Tribute SB-2, made in Korea(w/usa pickups), 3 tone sunburst finish over basswood, tortoise pick guard, chrome hardware, p bass pickup, j bass pickup in the bridge position,(thin/ jazz style) maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard, dot markers, included G&L gig bag & a guitar cable

I was surprised at how nice the pickups in this bass sound. They are much better than the stock pickups that you'd find in one of Fender's Mexican imports(I used to have a MIM Fender Jazz and this bass out shines it hands down). The combination of the P and J pickups makes for a nice growl. It has a pleasing ammount of low end, and and lots of mids(perhapse due to the G&L pickups/basswood body combo) It also has decent high end clarity. This bass is kind of a souped up P bass. It would be great for most styles of music rock, metal, punk, blues...and yes it slaps surprisingly well so its got the funk covered too!

The action and setup on this bass was amazing right out of the box. This may be one of G&L's imports, but the attention to quality was not sacrificed on this bass. I was really impressed with the clean fretwork on the neck...I've seen USA basses(and guitars) that cost well over a grand that weren't as nice as this. I know some people tend to shy away from basswood as a tonewood, and I myself, must confess that I was afraid that the wood grain might not look all that great on this bass, but I have a USA made G&L guitar that's made of swamp ash, and I think the wood grain on this bass is not quite as deatiled but nice just the same.

The pickups on this bass are relatively quiet, and the neck joint is tight as can be, the tuners and hardware are all very solid and functional...I haven't needed to adjust the truss rod yet because the action/setup was perfect right out of G&L's nice (included) gig bag

Aside from this new G&L tribute SB-2, I own a G&L guitar, and I know first hand how helpful G&L's customer service is. They are prompt with answering emails & G&L has a very friendly customer service dept .

I've been playing bass & guitar for around 10 years, and I think this bass is an outstanding value. This bass has a great tone & a very comfortable thin jazz type of neck. I love the 3 tone sunburst finish with the tortoise pick guard. When I ordered it, I was thinking that this bass wouldn't be all that great for slap/funk style playing & that it would be my clasic rock sort of bass, but it really surprised me...It's very versatile and could accomodate most playing styles. It's a bass that's worth every last penny, and although it's an import, it still has a lot of good G&L type quality and attention to deatail. The included G&L logo gigbag is impressive (probably one of the best bass gig bags I've ever come across). The price on this bass makes it a steal...Under $300 for a bass that Fender would charge a lot more for...So if you want a killer sounding solid & reliable p bass for not a lot of cash this is where it's at!

This is a Korean made bass w/Amercian pickups. Looks and feels just like an American SB-2. 21 frets, Hard rock maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, swampash body. Transparent natural finish on body, satin finish on neck. P/J pickup combination, 2 volumes, no tone. These are passive pickups, the same that goes in the American line. A lightwieght P- bass body. J-style neck. Comes with a REALLY nice gig bag!

This bass sounds fantastic! Lot's of different useful tones. Fat p-bass and j-bass tones. Very quiet electronics. This bass sounds every bit as good as any bass I've owned, and that's a lot of 'em!!

Bass came set up perfect. I hoestly can't find anything to complain about. I you like fender style basses, you're gonna love this one!

So far this bass has worked like a champ on the gigs. Every sound I've needed I've been able to get. It gives you the feeling that it's gonna take alot of abuse and keep coming back for more.

2 year warranty. Don't know about customet support yet. Haven't needed it!

I am a full time prfeesional musician. I play 5 to 6 nights a week, including touring. I also do a good amount of recording. Have to cover just about any style of music onj any given night. I need simple, reliable equipment that can do the job without a lot of B.S. I have owned a lot of high end bass guitars throughout my carreer, and I cannot belive the value this Tribute series offers. Lots of "bang for the buck!!"